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This account of the murder of A. W. Balfour written by Maude O. Bixler, youngest child of Elisha M. Love, Kiowa County pioneer settler: On this particular Fourth of July after mother’s death, they were having the celebration at Pryer’s Grove. This was a large grove of planted trees, north of Haviland and in Edward’s County. A dirt road ran east and west along the north side and it was surrounded on the other three sides by a pasture. To enter the grove, you turned off the road and went through a gate at the west end of the grove. Father drove the little mules through the gate and tied them to a fence post while he took me to the center of the grove where the people were gathering and where the grand stand and concession stands were. Then he went back to unhitch the mules and tie them to the side of the wagon so they could eat the hay he had brought for them. He had been quite a while, when I heard shots fired at that end of the grove; then in a short time two men on horses went down the road as fast as their horses could run. I thought, my! they have started the celebration early. That must have been the opening salute, but I didn’t think they were going to start the races that early. In a short time father came to me and said, “A man has been shot, do you want to go see?” I went with him and there was the man lying there in a pool of blood, begging for water. Father said, “I am afraid it is fatal. Begging for water is almost a sure sign.” He had seen it happen too many times during the war. They were rushing with preparations to move him to a house, but the nearest was a farm house two miles away and lumber wagons were the only vehicles available. A man on horseback had already left for Haviland to summon a doctor and also to get word to his wife who lived at Greensburg. What had happened was Balfour a Deputy Sheriff from Greensburg was looking for two men who were accused of petty theft at Greensburg. Two strangers had come to Haviland, presumably to work in harvest. They put up a tent in which one of their wives lived, and they had hired to work in harvest for a Mister Cook who lived just south of Haviland. Mr. Cook owned a race horse and they had brought him the grove expecting to enter him in the races. They had picketed the horse at the west end of the grove. It seemed a few days before a livery man at Greensburg had kept their horses for a short time and when they had left with them, he discovered some harness and some other things were missing. He was satisfied they were the guilty ones and had secured a warrant for their arrest. He placed the warrant in the hands of Balfour the Deputy Sheriff. Naturally, Balfour was not expecting them to be outlaws, so he walked up to one and said, “Consider yourself under arrest.” The man pulled a pistol out of his shirt, shot him and said, “Not by a D - - sight.” The sheriff shot as he fell but he was falling and the shot went wild. It hit the man in the hand. The sheriff handed his gun to his friend as he fell and said, “Here, I’m done for.” But by then the two outlaws had hopped on their horses, cut their picket ropes and were out of shooting range. Father was standing near the gate as they rode through it. One of them was twirling their pistol around with one hand and swore he was the toughest guy that ever rode through that grove. A man said to father, “Why didn’t you shut the gate?” Father said, “I knew better.” A man, I do not remember his name, marched up and down through the grove, begging for a posse of men to go with him and capture them but everyone was too shocked to move. No one expected the men to do what they did. They went back to Haviland and took the race horse back to Mr. Cook, then disappeared. In a few days the woman and tent disappeared in the night also. No one had suspicioned them to be bad men except brother Crandall and his step cousin Carry Hazell. (Our aunt was his stepmother.) The two boys were working also for Mr. Cook in harvest. One day it had rained so they could not cut wheat so they went into town. On the way while the horses were in a trot, they spied a quail sitting on a fence post. One of the men jerked a pistol out of his shirt, shot, and the quail fell off the fence post. From then on the boys were afraid of them and kept their money and valuables hid. Of course they did not have much but it was precious to them. These men on their way back to Haviland, rode up to the well at my brother Edwin’s farm, got themselves a drink and let their horses drink out of the tank. My sister-in-law was home and saw them but she never dreamed they were bad men. She noticed one of them had his hand wrapped with a red bandana handkerchief. Later it was learned they were the Wyatt brothers, members of the Dalton gang, and that Zip Wyatt did the shooting. They had fled to Indian Territory. Balfour died soon after they got him to the farm house. Kiowa County History Book, 1979 THE FATAL PICNIC ANDREW W. BALFOUR – The following true life story is written by Mildred Williams Locke, great granddaughter of the principal character, Andrew W, Balfour. The family was preparing for a celebration, being a picnic with homemade ice cream. It was ready and waiting . . . . . But there was business to be taken care of first. Grandfather was undersheriff serving with Sheriff Bonsall. They went to make an arrest for stolen property at Fellsburg. It was a tense situation. Mr. Anderson, a neighbor, tapped grandfather on the back to tell him something. Grandfather turned . . .zing . . .a bullet from Zip Wyatt’s gun. The Dalton gang panicked and started firing wild shots . .yelling defiance to anyone who dared to take them. Grandfather raised from where he lay mortally wounded, having been shot through the abdomen, and fired two shots, one hitting its target but not doing serious injury. Mr. Anderson had grandfather taken to his nearby house. “I’m in no pain, but so very weak.” He died thirty minutes later. C. B. Lee and Mr. Brown brought grandfather’s body home in a spring wagon. A neighbor had preceded them with the bad news for the family, who were waiting to go to the celebration. Mother, her twin, a brother and three other sisters were calmly reading, cracking nuts, etc., when Mr. Price arrived with the bad news. Aunt Bertha screamed; all scampered to their feet to see what had happened . . .”Dad has been killed.” Thus the unhappy ending to the 4th of July celebration in 1892. The ice from the ice cream was used . . .in his own home grandfather was packed with it on this sad day. Years later, Zip Wyatt paid with his life for this act of violence.
Grandfather’s story is
ended . . . but the name
Andrew, has continued in
the family through the
years.
His grandson and
my brother David Andrew
Williams (killed in WWII
while carrying a wounded
buddy across a mine field
in France in 1945).
David’s son,
David Andrew, and his
son.
At present, David
Andrew Williams is pastor
of First Baptist Church,
Stafford, Kansas.
It should be
mentioned that
grandfather was a
descendant of Col. Andrew
Balfour of Ashboro, North
Carolina, about whom much
history has been written.
Mildred Locke * * * Andrew Balfour is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Greensburg, Kansas, Section A. Block 20, Lot 4. (A note from Shirley Weissmann: The tombstones were placed on the gravesites in approximately the 1950s or 60s by Edith Shaw McMillen, oldest daughter of Bertha Balfour, who was the oldest daughter of Andrew Winfield Balfour. They read, simply , Father Balfour and Mother Balfour even though Andrew's wife, Perina had remarried after Andrew's death.) * * * BALFOUR
– WILLIAMS
1888
– 1927 (In
Kiowa Co.) Balfour
is a very old name in
Scotland and is prominent
in Scottish and English
history.
In 1884, Andrew
and Perina Price Balfour,
with two children, Bertha
ten and Clarence Andrew,
eight, came to Kansas
from Illinois and settled
on land in Pratt County.
Later that year,
twin daughters, Georgia
and Gertrude were born
and in 1887 a daughter
Nina made her entrance
into the family circle.
In 1888,
grandfather moved to
Kiowa County, and in 1889
another daughter, Leola
arrived to complete the
family.
Leola is in her 89th
year and still going
strong.
In 1890
grandfather was elected
Constable of Center
Township. In
1892, in the capacity of
Deputy Sheriff, while
serving a warrant for the
arrest of a desperado,
Zip Wyatt, he was shot
and killed.
In the confusion,
Wyatt fled the scene and
made his escape into
Indian Territory in
Oklahoma, managing to
elude his pursuers.
Grandmother died
in 1945 in her 92nd
year.
My mother,
Gertrude married Geter
Shull Williams, 1908.
He came to Kiowa
County about 1906 from
Illinois.
They resided in
Greensburg until about
1927 when they moved to
Coldwater.
In 1930 they moved
to Liberal and remained
there the rest of their
lives.
Geter died in
1950, Gertrude in 1970.
They became the
parents of five children.
Aleen, born June
8, 1908;married Elvin
House of Haviland in
1928; Mildred, born March
24, 1911; married Orville
Locke; Henry, born 1913;
married 1st
Rosemary Fischer, 2nd
Ellen Cain; David, born
1916; married Addie
Blonde; he was killed in
1945 on the battlefield
in France, his son David
is a Baptist minister;
Robert, born 1919,
married Emma Hughes, died
1972 on his 51st
birthday. Elvin’s parents were William and Bertha House, also early comers to Kiowa County. (Note:
A paragraph about their
children has been
deleted) I
and my brothers and
sister, with the
exception of Robert, who
was born in Lewis,
Kansas, while we lived
there for a short time in
1919, were born in
Greensburg. Elvin worked for the city of Liberal in various departments. His last position before his retirement was Superintendent of the Municipal Airport. He couldn’t take retirement and is now employed at the First National Bank in Liberal as a Security Guard. I served twenty-five years as Deputy County Clerk, and in 1968 I was elected Register of Deeds. I hope to retire at the completion of my present term. Elvin will re-retire and we plan to do some traveling and explore the wonders of this wonderful country, of which we are very proud. Aleen Williams House * * *
Charles
E. Townsend Cooke, born
1867 in Sharon, Michigan,
was the sixth child of a
family of eight. His
parents were George and
Jane Townsend Cooke.
His oldest sister
was Martha Cooke Raymond,
a well known and
respected, long time
resident of Greensburg.
The family moved
from Michigan to
Mcpherson County, Ks.
Dissatisfied, they
moved on to Kiowa County
and settled near Haviland
in 1884.
Daddy taught his
first school at age 16.
In 1896 he entered
KU (University of
Kansas), specializing in
foreign languages.
When war broke out
with Spain, he
volunteered his services
to the armed forces.
He spent two years
in the Philippine
Islands. He was
the only volunteer from
Kiowa County and the
first American soldier to
step foot on Philippine
soil. After
discharge he returned to
the University,
graduating in 1902.
In 1906 while he
was Editor and Publisher
of the Kiowa County
Signal, he and mother
were married.
They had four
children: George Balfour
died July 1909 age 21
months; I was born Dec.
that same year; Rodney
died in 1928 in his 16th
year and Nelouise was
born Nov. 1920.
Daddy had many
interests but he always
returned to teaching. He
read and studied
constantly to improve his
mind until the day he
died.
He took a stab at
politics, serving a term
as County Supt. Of
Schools.
In 1918 he was
elected County Clerk but
before the end of the
term he resigned and
returned to his chosen
profession. Mother
finished out his term,
was elected herself and
held the office until
1932.
Daddy was
proficient in seven
languages, especially
German, French, Spanish
and Latin.
He taught German
and Latin at the old
Kiowa County High School.
At Belvedere he
taught all subjects.
My mother,
Georgia, was the daughter
of Andrew and Perina
Price Balfour.
They came to
Kansas in 1884 from
Illinois.
My mother and her
twin sister, Gertrude,
were born in Pratt
County, but the family
moved to Greensburg in
1887.
Her father was
shot and killed while
attempting to make an
arrest in 1892.
In 1932 my parents
moved to Fort Dodge.
Daddy was
librarian and Mother
worked at the post
office. In
1939 they came to
California to be near me
and Neloise.
Daddy died in 1944
and Mother in 1968.
Neloise has two
sons, Charles and William
and a daughter,
Georgianne, and five
grandchildren.
Their father died
in 1961.
In December, 1973,
I retired after 26 years
with a large corporation
in Los Angeles.
My position there
was a challenging one and
I enjoyed every minute of
it.
I am now devoting
my time to genealogy, and
have traced both the
Cooke and Balfour lines
back to the 16th
century in England and
Scotland.
I am now busy
writing papers which,
hopefully will soon be
ready for publication.
Glenna Cooke
Barber * * * * *
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